Ayamari Nasai
by Your Rude Awakening
Summary: ON HIATUS - Formerly, "No Need to Apologize". A request from a fan who wishes to see Kagome paired with Tōshirō. But it might be difficult to for Kagome to find love again when she's busy bruising his pride after being asked to be his sensei..


**Ayamari Nasai**

**Summary:** My first Inu-Yasha |x| Bleach. Subarashii!

I'm sorry...

**A|N:** This is still the fan-fiction request from pheonixstar123, however, I have finally been able to work out all the little "kinks" that I mentioned before. I think that I've also found a way to slow down the pace a little while still allowing for Kagome to be apart of the the Arrancar Saga. Whoo! AND, pheonixstar123, I've also incorporated all of your requests of Kagome's physical appearance.

It's going to be awesome, I tell ya! When I finally get it finished...

* * *

_January 18th, 2008 | Revised: October 19th, 2010_

* * *

Enshrouded in a soft pink haze were two figures. Complete opposites and yet they had found a way for peace. For love. Yet none of those sensations would be enough to ease the guilt that they both felt at the idea of what they were attempting to do. Only the promise that this was the only way helped, and together they both hoped that this promise would be enough to ease the suffering that would soon come to pass in the life of their purest guardian.

With a long, heartbroken sigh, the ancient and legendary priestess Midoriko turned to face her once vicious enemy. A man – no, demon – with deep icy blue colored eyes. Meeting his cool gaze with her own malachite swirls, it was apparent with the amount of exhaustion in their eyes that they were both ready for this to end. To finally be freed from the hellacious prison known to the world as the Shikon no Tama.

The male, an elemental dragon demon, raised a dangerous clawed hand to gently caress the pale features of his lover. A woman he never thought that he would ever forgive for entrapping them the way she had several hundred years ago. Yet after all those years with none but her as a sane companion, he had come to accept the miko and his punishment for having pursued her as savagely as he had.

_'A fool I was to think that eating her virgin flesh would give me the greatest power.'_

"Ryuuou..." Midoriko whispered, placing her hand over the clawed one gently stroking her face. "We don't have much time."

"All the more reason for us to enjoy these final moments." Was the dragon's response. His deep voice barely a murmur as he leaned forward, a few of the white strands of his hair falling forward as he moved to press his lips against Midoriko's in a loving kiss.

The priestess responded immediately by leaning into the taller male, her left hand still gently holding onto Ryuuou's larger clawed one and her right hand reaching out to fist around the pure white silk of the dragon's haori as her eyes slid closed. But before either could begin to relish in the feel of each other and their final moments together, the shimmering cherry blossom colored barrier quivered against the strong blast of yōki coming from outside its confines. Pulling away from each other reluctantly, Ryuuou and Midoriko shared a look of regret before finally accepting that there was no more time.

"Miko." Ryuuou called out, meeting the priestess's gaze as he began to move backwards a few paces.

"H-hai?" Midoriko answered softly, her eyes stinging as tears began to gather in the corners, though she never once broke the gaze.

Quickly reaching his place of ten feet away from Midoriko, Ryuuou smirked, showing of his deadly fangs. "Aishiteru." And then, before Midoriko could return his declaration of love, the dragon demon closed his eyes and flared his yōki out, releasing the strong hold he had over the immense aura and nearly knocking his miko off her feet in the process.

Midoriko's barrier though strong, without the full strength of her soul it shattered against the rising demonic energy. The thousands of demons which had previously been kept at bay let lose a wave of triumphant shrieks and roars before charging towards the lone priestess whose purifying abilities were focused entirely on keeping Ryuuou's yōki from consuming her body – or rather keeping the massive energy from destroying the wave of miko ki that maintained the spirited form of her physical appearance. In a clash of yōki and yōkai, Ryuuou's severely stronger amount of ki completely annihilated all of the demons intent on finishing off Midoriko. Yet still, he had not finished releasing his aura. But with one final flare Ryuuou's physical form shimmered away before his aura collapsed back into itself forming a small, frosty blue colored jewel.

Falling to her knees, the reality that she was now completely alone did not once faze the strong miko. Instead, she cried for the loss of her lover. The knowledge that because they had never mated and had never tied their souls together for eternity as soul mates was much more painful. To never be assured that they would meet each other and share again in their love... In that moment, Midoriko found herself unsure of whether or not she was strong enough to complete her task.

_'Aishiteru.'_

Reaching out to grasp Ryuuou's jewel, the miko brought the small bauble close to her chest, hoping that through his yōki she could feel him and his strength. "Aishiteru, Ryuuou."

At that second the landscape began to quake, forcing Midoriko, whose eyes had slipped closed, to pay attention to her surroundings.

The Shikon no Tama, a jewel created from the souls of Midoriko and her demon opponents, was unable to sustain its infinite power now that the opposing demonic force had been removed from its structure. For you see, though Ryuuou's yōki was immense, the Shikon no Tama that the outside world knew of was actually the physical manifestation of Midoriko's miko ki and her soul. The inside of the jewel was where all of the demonic souls remained, trapped by the magical purification of the legendary priestess. So now that there was no yōki to balance against Midoriko's own vast amounts of miko ki, the jewel no longer had any purpose and would now release Midoriko's strength and her soul to depart into the afterlife.

However, through the plan that she and Ryuuou had concocted in order to save the world from having to be burdened with such a power that would cause war and strife, they would destroy the jewel from the inside out. But because her power was so great and had only grown over the years of being passed from priestess to priestess, absorbing energy as she went along, doing so would release a wave of miko ki that would essentially destroy all of yōkai-kind.

To keep that from happening, both Ryuuou and Midoriko decided to instead fuse their abilities into their current guardian, giving her the strength of a tenma-nisou. A creature long extinct with abilities of both a priestess and a demon. The only drawback was that the Shikon guardian would now become immortal because the four souls of the jewel – A_ramitama, _N_igimitama,_ K_ushimitama_ and Sakimit_ama _– would no longer have a jeweled housing. And because the futuristic miko's journey had been completed a while ago, allowing for the jewel to be absorbed back into her flesh, the four souls would leak into her body and in simple terms, make Kagome Higurashi the new Shikon no Tama.

_'Forgive me, Kagome.'_ As the quake grew in intensity signaling to the legendary priestess that time was running short, Midoriko prayed for forgiveness from Kami and Karma for what she was about to do.

Pressing Ryuuou's jewel further into her chest, encasing the demonic jewel in her purity as her hands sunk passed the spirited compression of her flesh, Midoriko bit her lip to keep from crying out at the tainted intrusion into her soul. However, she could not stop and only flared her miko ki to ease the pain as she worked diligently to fuse her energy with the energy of her yōkai lover. Had they been mates, this would not have been the least bit painful, yet fighting endlessly back to back for so long had given them no time for such a union. And in the back of her mind Midoriko knew that while she was suffering, Kagome would suffer more for she had the physical changes to through as well as the alteration that would allow her to channel both yōki and miko ki.

Desperate tears ran down Midoriko's face as Ryuuou and her energies dueled against one another, the pain becoming nearly unbearable, especially when her will to fight was lost at knowing that she might never be with him again. And with one final flare of her ki, the spirited form that once detailed Midoriko's features burst apart at the exact same second that a rather large rumble cracked the landscape beneath where she once stood.

For a long minute, cherry blossom pink, the color of the now deceased priestess's energy, and powder blue, the color of Ryuuou the dragon king's energy, clashed against one another as if fighting for dominance against the other. This lasted for several moments before finally the two energies found peace, much in the same way that Midoriko and Ryuuou had, and the two colors began to swirl around each other. Blending until there was no way to tell where one color began and the other ended, although it was clear that the blue energy had found a way to gain the upper hand. Still, in the end the two became one with such a massive amount of energy that had anyone or thing been in the area, they would have been unable to move due to the immense spiritual pressure.

And as a final tremble shook the now hollow confines of what used to be the Shikon no Tama, both energies disappeared in a flash of bright white light.

_'Forgive us, Kagome.'_

* * *

In the world of the living, a small group of friends sat around a fire, rejoicing over the fact that the dark hanyō, Naraku, was now dead. No longer capable of bringing pain and suffering to the world in which they all lived.

Two taijiya, a brother and sister pair, near inseparable since life had been restored to the younger male sibling. A deed that had been done by the once insufferably stoic dog demon lord of the West, Sesshōmaru. Though he would swear until the day he died that he had only done so to please his young ward, Rin, the young human girl whom had come to enjoy spending her time with not only the smaller kitsune yōkai, Shippou, but the young taijiya child, Kohaku.

The original members of the Shikon no Tama group were forever grateful for this momentary act of kindness. None more so than Sango and Kagome. And while the slayer's reasons were obvious, Kagome was glad that her young Shippou was able to have friends that would be around for more than a few days. He needed companions close to his age that he could hang around with rather than clinging to her all the time. However, in secret she would say that she missed how dependent the kitsune had been on her. Of course then Sango, Miroku, and Kaede would have to remind her that he was growing up and wouldn't always need her to mother him. And though they were right, Kagome found herself losing more and more of the reasons that she had once held dear to which would help tie her to this era. Mind you she always had these dear friendships, but slowly she was beginning to see that everyone was ready to move on with their lives and begin finding the happiness that they had put on hold during the war against Naraku.

Further proof of that fact was of Kōga who would soon be returning to his own place as leader of his new pack. Ginta and Hakkaku already awaited him back along the border of the Eastern lands.

Sesshōmaru's pack, consisting of Rin, Ah-Un and Jaken, would need to return to the Western castle soon so that the Lord of the lands could continue in his rule and maintaining the peace.

Miroku, Sango, Kohaku and Kirara would want to go back to the taijiya village to begin reconstruction of not only the small town, but also of the family. And Shippou had already announced that he wanted to tag along and stay with his friend, that way if Rin ever visited, she would only have to get Sesshōmaru to comply with journeying to just the taijiya village.

Kaede always had and always would remain in the village close to the Bone Eater's Well and Goshinboku tree just outside on Inuyasha's Forest. It was her duty as village priestess after all.

And while everyone assumed that the hanyō and the futuristic miko would end up together, Kagome could sense Inuyasha's uncertainty on the matter. Though she couldn't understand why. She had made clear several times that she loved him and would always stay by his side. Yet for some reason the inu-hanyō still questioned the stability of their relationship. Or maybe, Kagome had been wondering to herself lately, Inuyasha still questioned his own feelings for her. After all, Kikyō was still out there wandering around with half their soul.

_'There really is no place for me here. Not anymore... But, there's no place for me back home either. At least, not one that I'll be able to stand anyways. Things are just too boring back there, in the future.'_ Smiling halfheartedly at the small joke that she caught the end of, Kagome stood from her place around the fire drawing several eyes to her small form.

"Kagome-chan, where are you going?" Sango asked, unsure if she should follow the younger miko. And when the younger girl's hollow brown eyes found her own curious chocolate irises, the female taijiya found herself suddenly very concerned for her best friend. "Kagome-chan?"

"Ne, Sango-chan, it's been a _long_ couple of days. I think I'll go to bed now." Kagome smiled brightly, her voice light despite the heaviness settling in her chest.

"Oh, well... Alright then." Sango nodded, fooled by Kagome's easy-going reply.

Seeing that Sango was relenting to her leaving, as well as the rest of their friends, Kagome's face almost fell. Almost. Though she was hurt to think that none of her friends were able to see what she was really feeling, she scolded herself quickly. _'Iie. There's no need to make them feel bad. Besides, even if this does feel more like my home than the future, I don't belong here.'_

"Good night then, everyone!" Turning quickly so that they wouldn't catch the sudden pained look that crossed her face, Kagome began to make her way back towards Kaede's hut, barely able to lift a hand to wave good-bye when a sudden pain set her body ablaze.

"Aa." Having barely made it past the straw door before collapsing to her knees, Kagome cried out softly in pain, the sensation of as if her blood had caught fire filling her. Gasping for air, the young miko found it too difficult to breath, yet couldn't help herself when her heart rate began to pick up, forcing her to pant as if she had just run for miles. "I-itai!" she whimpered, falling forward onto her stomach as tears gathered in her eyes at the intense amount of pain now coursing through her body.

Kagome didn't know how long she was there, laying against the floor of the small hut gasping for air in between her silent sobs, but she did know that with every second that passed, the pain grew more and more intense. To the point where it felt as if her soul were burning. It was almost as if a poison had been spilt into her bloodstream and was just now beginning to take effect and cause her torment. And vaguely, she wondered if Naraku had some how gotten her during the final battle, she _had_ been far too focused elsewhere to notice if one of his bugs had made it past to sting her.

Yet as her eyes grew blurry with tears, she was able to barely make out the sparks of her miko ki struggling against a strong demonic force that was now pressing against her body, forcing her to remain on the floor while she struggled even harder to breath. Even still, the pain grew more extreme, finally tearing a bloodcurdling scream from her throat in a desperate attempt to bring attention to her suffering. It worked, for she could hear in the distance as her companions rushed to her aid, however, they were stopped immediately by a strong barrier that had been placed around Kaede's hut.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha scream, a desperate sound in his voice. Tilting her head slightly so that she could peer out of the of doorway, she could see the hanyō watching her with unhidden worry, a red Tessaiga in his right hand while his left beat against the barrier. "Kagome!" he called again.

"I-Inu...Yasha.." she whispered, unable to manage anything more than that due to her fading strength.

'_**Forgive us, Kagome.'**_

But before Kagome could wonder at what was going on and whom had called her by name, a wave of yōki flowed through her in a way the seemed to come from _her_ rather than an outside source. But despite that her own miko ki fought desperately against it. It didn't work and the pain was only made even more unbearable, drawing forth another pained scream which was followed quickly by terrible sobs.

In the background Kagome could hear as Inuyasha fought even harder to reach her, yet nothing the hanyō nor his friends did were capable of breaking through the barrier. It was just simply too strong, even for Sesshōmaru whom had relented to Rin's pleading to 'help Kagome-chan'. And in all their fighting, none noticed how Kirara was able to pass through the barrier with ease, the nekomata drawn to Kagome's side like a moth to a flame, kneeling and purring gently as she nuzzled her head against the miko's side.

_**'Please forgive me, Kagome.'**_

'_Doushite?'_ Kagome asked as the tears continued to leak down her face despite the fact that the pain was easing.

_**'Because we could wait no more. With your powers, we had to… In order to save the world from anymore suffering caused by my grave mistake.'**_

'_Doushite ware?'_

_**'Because it is your duty as the current guardian of the Shikon no Tama.'**_

_'Nani?'_ A spark of anger swept through the young miko at the thought of having to suffer for someone else's mistakes. Already she had suffered just because she was Kikyō's reincarnation and the priestess had left her life's duties unfulfilled for her to inherit. But now, to think that she had to make up for someone she never was? Lose more of herself to a cause that she never asked to be a part of when she was already struggling to pick up the pieces of her destroyed life? _'Iie!'_

_**'It's too late, the deed is done. Onegai yurushite kudasai, Kagome-sama. It was the only way.' **_the voice pleaded.

_'Iie!'_ But the presence was gone and all that Kagome had left were the memories of Midoriko's final moments inside the Shikon no Tama and just what the legendary priestess had done to her.

Curling in on herself as she sobbed, a horrified Kagome did not notice that the once all-consuming pain had faded, leaving a dull throb throughout her body. Nor did she notice that the barrier had fallen and her friends rushed in to see what had happened, questions spilling from their mouths even as Inuyasha pulled her into his hold, running a clawed hand through her hair to help soothe the pain that he still did not understand.

_'I can't go home... I have no home.'_

* * *

It was a week later that Kagome finally felt strong enough to make her way to the Bone Eater's Well and say her final good-bye. Though she knew she couldn't cross through time anymore, as the Shikon no Tama – her key between worlds – no longer existed. At least not in the way she needed.

A few days before, after she had calmed and the shock wore off, Kagome had explained to all who remained what had happened the night following Naraku's defeat. From the voice, to the images. Or rather, Midoriko and Ryuuou's final memories. Everything. The only thing she left out was her bitterness over the fact that she no longer had any ties to this era and no way back to her own. However, she was resilient and pure – thus the reason why she was made the final resting place of the Shikon no Tama – and so she slowly began to accept her new place. Though she still had no idea where that was.

Smiling sadly, Kagome returned her thoughts back to the day she had explained things. Almost immediately plans changed. Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, and Shippou offered to stay in Kaede's village. But she had declined, telling them that there was no need for them to do that. Besides, the Taijiya village would now be only a few hours away with her new found speed. So if she ever needed their support and friendship they were only a moment away. And after threatening to never visit if they didn't get a move on, they had departed. Though that was the day that something rather strange happened, Kirara had opted to stay behind with the newly changed tenma-nisou. Sango was at first stunned, but after thinking it over she was glad to have her nekomata companion close to Kagome for comfort. With a final farewell petting, the four finally began their trek towards the Demon Slayer's Village.

Kōga's plans never changed. Though just like his usual self, he once again offered his strength as a mate, to which Inuyasha threatened his life, chasing the ookami from the village.

However, the offer that stunned everyone the most was when Sesshōmaru, though he swore he was only asking for Rin, offered Kagome a place at his palace as a resident and member of his council. He also offered to help her to reign over her new inner demon through private training sessions.

It was Inuyasha who pointed out that his half-brother was probably only offering this because she had become one of the legendary extinct creatures which once were a force not to be trifled with. Creatures of great power because they could both purify and release their raging inner beasts, and he probably only wanted her just so no other could. Sesshōmaru had merely scoffed and waved his hanyō half-brother off, but Kagome did note that the Western Lord never denied this accusation.

_'I've become an object. Just another pointless bauble that will bring strife to those who don't have me and pain to those who do.'_ Sighing deeply, Kagome shook her head. Now was not the time, she had finally reached the clearing of the well. Yet pausing in the tree line as she stared ahead with a sorrowful gaze, she found herself unable to continue forward.

"Nya." Turning her gaze towards her feet Kagome found Kirara sitting beside her, staring up with large red eyes. Peering back over at the well, the yōkai-miko took a step in the opposite direction, her back coming in contact with a tree.

"Sorry, Kirara. I just- I can't... Not yet." Kagome murmured, sliding down the tree so that the nekomata could climb into her lap and nuzzle her face against her stomach, purring comfortingly. Tears gathered in the youth's eyes as she stared blankly at the well. _'I don't want to say good-bye.'_

Kagome was sure that if she had someone to love, someone to stand by her side as the years passed, she would find it easier to say farewell, less painful because she would be living those five-hundred years between times in relative peace with someone she could devote her time to. Yet she had no one. At least, not in the the way she wanted. Because try as she might, even after that frightening night in Kaede's hut, Inuyasha still found himself unsure about his feelings. Why just last night she had spotted a few soul stealers signaling that Kikyō was nearby. And faster than he could offer some lame excuse, the hanyō that Kagome loved with all her heart was out the door to go meet up with the tragic, undead priestess.

Kaede and Kirara had been her only comfort, as the rest of her friends – including Kōga – had already departed. Sesshōmaru and his own pack too, though he had said that he would keep a place for her in his home. So for the first time since she had started her journey in this strange land, Kagome had felt truly and utterly alone. And the pain that came with that thought was even more painful than her transformation into a tenma-nisou.

"Kagome?" Looking up quickly, Kagome found the cause of her heartbreak staring down at her in confusion from his place in the tree she was leaning against.

"Inuyasha?" A ghost of a smile flitted across the young tenma-nisou's face when Kirara growled lightly at the hanyō, narrowing her eyes dangerously onto his red-clad form.

"What the hell?" he griped, glaring back at the nekomata, but remaining in his tree.

_'The cat has chased the dog up the tree this time.'_ Laughing lightly at the irony, Kagome felt her sorrow fade away. If only for the moment.

Waiting for the girl to calm, "What?" Inuyasha asked.

Shaking her head, a bright smile decorating her gently tanned features, "It's nothing, Inuyasha." Kagome replied.

"Feh!" he scoffed, sitting back in the tree and crossing his arms. Several moments passed before the hanyō remembered his reasons for seeking out the futuristic miko. "Hey, Kagome?"

"Hai, Inuyasha?"

There was a pause of uncertainty, "K... Kikyō wants to speak with you. She asked me to let you know that she'll be waiting for you by the Goshinboku." the inu-hanyō finally spoke, his confusion once more apparent in his voice.

"Nani?"

"You heard what I said!"

Feeling a flare of anger at his attitude, Kagome stood quickly with Kirara still held in her grasp, "Osuwari!" the once human girl growled, narrowing her emerald-silver swirled eyes onto Inuyasha once he had created a nice outline of his form in the Earth. "There's no need to get all PMS-y. I mean it's not everyday that you come to tell me that Kikyō wants to talk, and with ME! Kami-sama!" Making her way towards the Goshinboku, Kagome satisfied her anger by stomping across Inuyasha's prone form.

Once she was a good hundred feet away from him, the miko found herself slowing down in her march towards the ancient God Tree. She was beginning to feel the right sense of nervousness about going off to meet with her incarnate. After all, the undead woman had tried on more than one occasion to kill her. However, as Kagome drew nearer to the area where the other miko awaited her, she could sense – through their soul connection – a deep sense of pain. Both physical and spiritual. And as she finally broke through the tree line, Kagome found herself gasping as she stared openly at Kikyō.

Her incarnation was bent over with one hand pressed against the large tree in an attempt to remain standing, and she was panting heavily as her miko ki struggled against a strong amount of yōki that seemed to be coming from her. It was obvious that Kikyō was in pain, if the look of agony on her face was anything to go on. _'She's going through the same transformation that I did! But, has she been suffering like this the entire time?'_ Kagome wondered. It had been seven days since her own metamorphosis into a tenma-nisou, so the question was quite valid.

"Kikyō?" Kagome whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from her incarnate.

Having heard the tiny whisper, Kikyō quickly looked up to meet her reincarnation's gaze, showing off a pair of eyes that were mismatched. One remained the same mud brown as always, yet the other was the emerald green swirled with silver that Kagome now held to match the recently departed Midoriko.

A grimace of pain flashed across Kikyō's face when the yōki flared up again, threatening to rip her clay body apart. It was then that Kagome noticed the small cracks beginning to form in the undead priestess's body, and she couldn't help the sharp gasp of horror at the thought that Kikyō was falling apart.

Startled when Inuyasha suddenly appeared at her side, Kagome felt her heart clench when she saw the desperate look on his face as he gazed lovingly at Kikyō. "She says that because she's not really alive and only surviving off half your soul and the souls of other women, she is unable to accept the transformation like you did. She's not strong enough to become a tenma-nisou. And with a clay body, I don't think she'll ever be. It's tearing her apart."

At that moment when Kagome's gaze once more found Kikyō's, she saw something in the older woman's eyes. Something that she had never seen before. Acceptance.

"Kagome, please do something for me." Kikyō requested, her voice barely above a whisper, but with her improved super-sensitive hearing, the younger miko still heard. And though she was unsure about accepting her incarnate's request, because for all she knew Kikyō might come back asking her to die so that _she_ would be able to truly live again with Inuyasha, Kagome still nodded.

"Hai, Kikyō?"

Nose wrinkling slightly as the scent of tears met her senses, looking over at Inuyasha Kagome could see that he was the reason. _'Inuyasha's... crying?'_ At that realization, her heart began to pound erratically, fearing the worst. Fearing for her safety. _'Oh, Kami-sama!'_

Yet as Kikyō's request reached her ears, the younger girl found herself completely frozen to her spot.

"Kill me."

* * *

Kirara watched solemnly as Kagome sobbed, kneeled on hands and knees by the riverside. Though she could tell that the girl was in slight physical pain, it was nothing compared to the emotional distress.

After Kikyō's request for her reincarnation to end her life and spare her suffering, Kagome had been reluctant to oblige, knowing that to do so would forever deny her any romantic relationship with Inuyasha. Yet in the end, the same result had been achieved. Though the inu-hanyō had been the one to get his hands dirty, the look in his eyes spoke volumes about how he felt. Guilt. Despair. But the most important of all, anger. And it was towards her, Kagome. Though she couldn't understand why. Especially when none of this had been her fault. Still, for some reason he hated the fact that her transformation had ended Kikyō's life, and so he blamed her.

Unable to look at the hanyō any longer, Kagome had run. Fast and far, stopping only when she reached this small clearing before finally breaking down.

Settling herself at the girl's side, Kirara waited, knowing that there was nothing she could do but offer her warm body and comfort.

Hours passed, the sun set in the horizon and the temperature dropped. Yet even though she had run out of tears and was now laying on her side with her arms wrapped around Kirara, Kagome did not make any move to get up and return to Kaede's village. "What do I do now?" she whispered hollowly, her question meant to be rhetorical.

"Now..." A guttural voice from across the river began, and sitting up quickly – Kirara transforming and growling dangerously from her side – Kagome found herself suddenly being stared down by a rather tall demon with glowing yellow eyes. "You become by meal." Although this demon was strong enough to take on some semblance of a humanoid form, he was nowhere near attractive as most of the other demons capable of such feats. Even more strange about his features – aside from his scale-like skin and reptilian rattlesnake tail – this demon had retained his forked tongue and had no qualms about showing it off when he licked his lips. Yet, even stranger was the bone-like mask covering his face.

Pulling herself to her feet, standing as close as possible to Kirara without harming the nekomata with her miko ki, Kagome narrowed her eyes onto the unusual creature, reconsidering the idea that it was a demon. _'He has no yōki. But... he does feel like a human's soul, just tainted?'_ the young miko wondered to herself silently.

"What a tasty little thing you'll be. So ripe and juicy... Mm, and spicy too with the feisty energy you're giving off."

Listening to the strange creature go on, a look of pure disgust covered the miko's features and beside her Kirara growled a little louder. Flaring her yōki and fire, the nekomata roared loudly at the male creature, feeling a bit smug when it took a step back in fear.

Carefully, the pair watched as the creature grumbled to itself before seemingly deciding upon something, looking back up at Kagome and Kirara with a rather off-putting smile. "Bad kitty. I think I'll eat you first." Cackling loudly, the creature then disappeared only to quickly reappear beside Kirara with its mouth wide open and drool pouring from the open cavity as large clawed hands reached out to grab one of the nekomata's limbs.

Snapping her jaw threateningly, Kirara flared her fire, both burning the creature and freeing herself.

"Kirara, watch out!" Kagome shouted, waiting until the nekomata was a good few feet away before jumping towards the large creature, her claws covered in miko ki. But before she could make contact, as she was inexperience in battle the creature was able to toss her away with ease, throwing Kagome into a tree where the young miko slid down the tree, struggling to remain conscious despite the throbbing pain in her head.

"I'll be back for you." the creature promised before turing unfriendly eyes onto the nekomata whom was growling dangerously, but unable to move due to the fact that the drool the strange demon-like creature had spilled over her fur, was actually some type of poison, weakening her.

"I-Iie! Run, Kirara!" Kagome pleaded softly before finally succumbing to the darkness floating around the edges of her vision. Though try as she might, Kirara found herself unable to fight or run. Not against this unfamiliar enemy whom seemed capable of dodging everything she threw at him while returning everything with twice the force. Eventually and quite unfortunately, the nekomata fell to her doom, quickly being devoured by the creature.

Once finished licking his sharp fangs free of blood, the masked creature turned towards Kagome with an unsatisfied look on his face. With the life gone stolen from her, Kirara's body had reverted back to her smaller size and left the vicious creature with little more than what he considered an appetizer.

As Kagome began to regain consciousness, it quickly became clear to her with not only the large amounts of blood coating the strange creature's claws and mask, but the missing energetic signal that the nekomata gave off, that Kirara was dead. Tears flooded her eyes as a heavy guilt settled into her chest. _'This is all my fault.'_ She knew that demons and other odd such creatures would continue to seek her out because of her power, but she hadn't cared after what happened with Inuyasha. And in that instance, brimming with rage and guilt, both miko ki and yōki began to swirl around her small body.

"Oh, don't feel so bad. You'll soon be joining your cute little kitty." the creature taunted as he licked his claws with his forked snake tongue. Obviously unfazed by the level of energy rising in the small clearing, either stupid or unafraid remained to be unseen. But when the silver swirls of Kagome's new emerald colored eyes began to glow, eventually overtaking the entire iris in its brightness, the creature shrieked. A look of fear and shock in its glowing, beady eyes grew in intensity as the sudden pain became overwhelming. Looking over at the miko still kneeled on the floor, "W-what are you doing?" he demanded. When Kagome offered no answer, with the exception of the dark smirk now covering her sun-kissed features, the creature became angered and quickly reached out to lift the girl into the air by her neck. "Stop it!" the creature ordered viciously, desperately.

"Never." Kagome whispered back with a voice that was both low and guttural, apathetic to the grip around her throat it was clear that she was lost to her grief. And right now, though the creature did not know it, he was no longer speaking to the kind miko whom once would have been unable to bring harm to anything other than Naraku. Rather, he was now dealing with her inner beast that had had enough of the recent hardships, finally taking out its anger on the current cause of her suffering. As a short, dark laugh escaped passed her lips, the glow in her eyes intensified until both were engulfed in their entirety, much the same as a normal demon's would in that eerie blood red of rage.

And before the creature could say another word, the pain it felt tripled. A suffering that caused such a deep burning sensation it felt almost like its soul was being set ablaze. Shrieking loudly, the creature was quick to drop Kagome as it began to back away, thrashing about and clawing at its own skin. "NO!"

Distracted by her prey's torment, the sudden sharp rise in temperature went unnoticed by Kagome as she stood slowly, eyes narrowing onto the creature struggling before her. Reaching out with a clawed hand that glowed brightly with her miko ki, she quickly caught the masked snake creature by the tail, holding it in place as she sucked in a deep breath. Ignoring the way that the creature cried out again at the sudden sense of having its appendage purified, an icy aquamarine color began to swirl around the young miko as she stood there with her breath held before releasing it. A stream of blue fire flowed from her mouth and though it shimmered more like sparkling dust than flames, as the dust settled against the scale-skin, several things occurred in a relatively short amount of time.

In the same second, the creature exploded and a wave of red fiery spiritual energy sped through the clearing, destroying everything in its path. Kagome included.

Releasing a cry of pain as the foreign flames met with her skin, tears filled Kagome's eyes as she was pulled from her instinctual rage, eyes fading back to emerald swirled with silver. _'Am I really going to die?'_ she wondered as she fell to her knees, wincing when her inflamed flesh met with the Earth below. _'Iie, the Shikon won't allow that.'_ Slowly, the young miko began to lean forward, unable to remain upright when all of her strength and energy went into healing her body. But before she could land face first in the dirt, strong arms wrapped around her small figure.

With her eyes blurred she was unable to see just whom had caught her so instead, "I-Inu...Y-Yasha?" she choked out, whimpering when her entire body protested at the action of just her speaking. However, though she couldn't make out shapes, she could make out colors. And she did not see the red fire rat material of the hanyō's haori. Instead she was able to discern a pitch black color which she did not recognize.

"Please forgive me, young one. I have made such a horrible mistake. But I promise you on my life, I will make restitution." The voice was speaking to her was that of an aged male and sounding for all the world deeply regretful.

But instead of worrying about the words that he had spoken, or the fact that he was now lifting her body into his arms, all Kagome could think about was Kirara's death. And how through all of that, the screaming, the shrieking, the blood – Inuyasha never came.

_'You promised to always protect me, but you didn't.'_ As a small tear burned its way down Kagome's still scorched flesh, it was then that she finally gave up hope. _'I'll never forgive you, Inuyasha... Never.'_

Giving into the darkness that surrounded her, the young miko fell unconscious, ignorant to the fact that the one whom carried her was vanishing quickly through a pair of shoji screens that had appeared out of no where and seemingly led to no where.

When the last inch of the dark robes of the man passed from view and the doors faded, so too did any trace of the young futuristic girl.

* * *

A huff of annoyance could be heard from the small female standing in front of a full-length mirror, diligently trying to smooth the wrinkles from her shinigami robes. Though she had no where to be, fretting over her appearance helped to take up her time. Well, a portion of it and even if it were for just a few moments, she'd take it.

With a height of 5'1'', she was of a slightly less-than-average standing. Yet in a world full of spirits and shinigami, she was far from normal or average considering that she was a tenma-nisou. Bringing a small, tanned clawed hand up to push a lock of her hair behind a small, pointed ear – Higurashi, Kagome sighed before combing her hand through another section of her waist length onyx colored hair.

With the sun pouring in through the open window on the other side of the room, as the strands slipped past her fingers she could see the muted blue tint that flashed as the light hit the locks just right. And though most of her hair maintained the same length that she had once dreaded to grow, for fear of looking too much like Kikyō, there were sections towards the front that were trimmed to meet a shorter length of just above her chin – more towards her cheeks. Still shorter were bangs that came to hang just at the same level of her perfectly sculpted dark eyebrows.

Looking at her reflection, a pair of soulful emerald eyes stared right back and if one were to look closely, silver swirls could be made out in the depths. And despite the different hues, because the blue highlights of her hair were so dark at nearly a tint that they looked black, her emerald eyes did not clash nor take away from one another, only blended in such a way that one was tempted to think that the two colors were made for each other.

Her face, once youthful and endearing had remained the same face that the world once mistook for Kikyō, yet now aged to mirror her own maturity, and even more beautiful than the tragic priestess could ever hope for. To add to her now prime beauty, the same four point cross-mark that had once adorned Midoriko's forehead now tattooed her own along with silver eye shadow demon markings.

Biting her plump bottom lip in that moment, Kagome quickly halted her actions when her sharp canine fangs bit past the flesh and drew blood. '_Old habits die hard.'_ she thought to herself, running her tongue over the wound, not in the least bit shocked to find that it was gone. After all, she was a demon and that had been just a tiny pinprick.

Turning to the side, yet still gazing in the mirror, the young miko found herself glaring at the black robes. Personally, she disliked how loose they were on her as she preferred something a bit more form-fitting. Something that would generously show off her toned body, voluptuous curves, and perhaps just a little bit of the soft, sun-kissed skin that she had spent so long tanning. If not for her desire to feel womanly, or maybe not even because it was easier to fight in clothes that weren't so billowy, but because even though she had been here in Soul Society for five-hundred plus years, she was still Kagome Higurashi, futuristic miko who dresses of her era and refused to conform to the views of the people around her. _'Or at least, I used to be.'_

Pivoting so that she was once more facing the mirror head-on, out of habit Kagome brought right hand up to her neck where she gently fingered the small blue marble that hung from a satin choker styled necklace as she pondered adding some originality to her Shihakushō. _'Maybe... If is snip there and there...'_ Many times before she had threatened to modify the shinigami uniform, but had stopped for a lack of creativity. And as the sound of soft footfalls meeting against the sturdy wood of the floor, Kagome sighed when she realized that yet again she would have to put off the alterations.

"Houheishi-kun, what can I do for you?" the miko asked as soon as the door slid open. In her view of the mirror she could see the gawking look that the male had at her greeting. Apparently he thought that he had approached with the stealth of a ninja, yet somehow, the female before him had been aware of his presence the entire time.

Recovering quickly, "Ahem, Yamamoto-sōtaichō requests your presence in the Captain's Meeting Hall." Houheishi replied, bowing deeply in respect. Though quite honestly, he had no idea what rank Kagome really held, other than being important to the Captain-Commander. _'Perhaps she is a lover? But I've never seen them share an intimate moment and she's far too young for that! I mean, she couldn't be older than two hundred and Yamamoto-sōtaichō is what, two-thousand? So maybe she's like a daughter to him?'_

"Really?" Kagome questioned rhetorically of the announcement, turing around to face the shinigami. Houheishi simply nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Houheishi-kun." Kagome smiled.

"Your welcome, Higurashi-sama!" Add then he was gone.

Shrugging lightly to herself, "Guess someone was in a rush." the tenma-nisou muttered to herself. Running her hands once more over the cloth of her uniform, Kagome scowled before finally deciding to give up. "Stupid grim reaper robes." she grumbled, turning to make her way to the Captain's Meeting Hall.

While curious to see what the Captain-Commander wanted, the walk was long and gave her plenty of time to think back over her many years in Soul Society, something that she had been doing a lot of lately, especially since the anniversary of her arrival to the spirit realm was coming up soon. _'What a bad day that was too. Really, a bad week.'_

Though she had never been in any real trouble after that sudden wave of fire struck her, the person behind such an attack had not known and thought she was dying... Well, permanently. And with every intention of bringing her back to Soul Society, Yamamoto – the force behind such a powerful fire attack – had been shocked when as soon as he appeared through the Senkaimon, Kagome had been completely healed.

"_How is this possible?"_ a younger Shigekuni had asked once they were both settled in the infirmary, an insistence on his end despite the lack of need for it.

"_I am incapable of death."_ she had told him before going into more detail. Though she did not tell her whole story. At least not that day. And while Yamamoto had been apologetic, Kagome had promised him that there was no harm done. Of course, it was a few days later that she discovered that there might have been a little bit of harm. At the time when she tried returning to the living realm, it was found that she couldn't.

Apparently, despite the Shikon working to heal her body, during the transport of her body to Soul Society with her still technically being "dead", passing into the realm of souls had forced Kagome into some sort of limbo. Stuck between life and death. Sure she could return to the living realm, but now she was like a shinigami or spirit, invisible to anyone without high a enough awareness. And while Sengoku Jidai was crawling with spiritually aware people, she was now even more alluring than before. Which meant that Hollow – a creature she learned was responsible for Kirara's death – were now after her, salivating madly over her immense spiritual power. So to protect herself and the living realm from the thousands of Hollow that would follow her, Kagome had decided to remain in Soul Society.

Once her permanent residence had been decided, Yamamoto had taken it upon himself to train the young tenma-nisou in the art of shinigami personally. Part of his promise to her. So over the course of the next few-hundred years, Kagome completed her training and found herself bouncing from division to division. Because who better to learn each of their specialties than a soul that could never die? Well, souls don't die anyways – simply reincarnate – but Kagome was stuck forever as Higurashi, Kagome. Never to be reborn as a new person.

However that is irrelevant. What is important is that even though the fourth squad appealed to her miko sensibility, her fondest time had been with the second division. _'Playing ninja was fun.'_ Humorously this appealed to her once childish ideals of growing up to be a ninja, but better yet, she was also extremely good at it. Especially since she is able to move much faster than any shinigami using shunpo with just her yōkai speed. Being apart of the Reconnaissance and Vanguard Special-Ops squad also appealed to her yōkai sensibility and helped her to train those rather unique abilities. And because there was no one who could help her learn about her demonic heritage, though Yamamoto had been devoted enough to help her through meditating and finding a way to control her new gifts, Kagome had been on her own. But like all the rest of her training she eventually gained control. And once that happened Yamamoto had requested that she play the part of his personal spy inside of the Seireitei.

His reasons? Wanting to keep an eye on all of the Captains and ensure that they were behaving. Though this was originally geared towards Mayuri Kurotsuchi, because he was absolutely crazy and everyone always suspected him of something, Kagome's special assignment had proven useful in detecting Aizen Sōsuke and his plans. Unfortunately, they had been too late to stop the now Ex-Captain from his betrayal.

_'Bastard.'_ Kagome growled lowly, coming to a stop a few feet outside of the doors leading to the Captain's Meeting Hall.

The two shinigami standing guard jumped slightly at the sound. Though accustomed to Kagome and just what type of soul she was, they remained unused to the sounds she could make, having only recently been introduced to her a few years ago. "Kagome-sama!" one of the guards acknowledged before both bowed deeply in respect.

"Taji-kun, Kisoi-kun. How are you two today?" she asked, her gaze shifting between the pair as the previous angry scowl from her thoughts on Aizen faded away to a friendly smile.

"Fine, Kagome-sama." the other guard replied, returning her grin.

However, before a quaint conversation could be struck up between the miko and shinigami, the first guard opened the doors leading to the hall. "Here you go, Kagome-sama." he spoke, ignoring the slight glare that his partner sent his direction.

Giggling gently, "Thank you, Taji-kun." Kagome tipped her head in appreciation as she moved forward through the doorway. "See you both later." she called over her shoulder before the doors closed. On the other side she could clearly make out Kisoi fussing at Taji for not allowing him the chance to ask her out. Shaking her head in amusement, Kagome decided she would mull over the trivial matters later. But now, Yamamoto had requested her presence. So moving quickly down the long hall towards where she could plainly see the Captain-Commander waiting at the end of the room with his Lieutenant and another, Kagome was surprised to find Captain Hitsugaya waiting with the first division's leaders.

She was glad to see the youngest Captain up and about, for she had been extremely concerned for his health when she, Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu had found him so close to death just outside the Central 46 Chambers. And while Isane busied herself with the Tenteikūra kidō spell and Retsu began working on stabilizing Lieutenant Hinamori, she had taken on the responsibility of healing Captain Hitsugaya's wounds. This was about a week ago, so that just went to show just how grave his injuries had been. _'So why is he here now?'_ Kagome had to wonder, coming to stop a good ten paces in front of the three shinigami.

"I see you took your time getting over here." Though she could hear the amusement in his voice, Kagome still blushed in embarrassment.

"Gomen." she apologized, twiddling her thumbs nervously as she met Shigekuni's gaze.

"Nonsense." Clearing his throat, "Now that you are here, I must ask you to please humor me with this request I have of your skills." Yamamoto spoke, his voice taking on a more serious tone, yet still relaxed in comparison to how tense things had been as of late within the Seireitei.

"Oh?" Kagome said, her curiosity piqued.

"I would ask that we put your reconnaissance position on hold so that you can spend your time focused on helping Captain Hitsugaya to achieve a closer bond and connection to his Zanpakutō spirit, thus in turn making him stronger." Yamamoto explained.

"Nani?" A cry of incredulity from both Tōshirō and Kagome.

"Because of your uniqueness, I suspect that you will be able to encourage his spirit to cooperate." the Captain-Commander continued.

Understanding the meaning behind his words, Kagome nodded. "Ah, I see... Well since you put it that way, then I have to agree." She cheerfully returned the smile that Shigekuni gave at her approval.

"Iie." Tōshirō spoked firmly, tossing a glare in Kagome's direction despite him recognizing her as the one whom had saved his life. All eyes focused on him at his stubborn refusal.

"You would defy me, Captain Hitsugaya?" Yamamoto inquired, narrowing the slits of his eyes onto the white-haired youth. His voice was dangerous, but did not seem to phase Tōshirō for long.

"I apologize, Yamamoto-sōtaichō, however, I do not see how anyone but **me** can strengthen the bond between myself and **my** Zanpakutō." Taking special care to add emphasis to the words 'me' and 'my', it was clear that Tōshirō's pride had been wounded. And it was understandable, however...

"While under normal circumstances that would be true, Kagome is not an ordinary shinigami. And Soul Society does not have the patience to wait the several hundred years it will take you to master Hyōrinmaru's Bankai. Aizen could strike at any moment and I will not allow any of my Captains to run around like untrained school children, thus dooming all of Soul Society because of such arrogance." Yamamoto's words were harsh causing Kagome to wince slightly though the words were not directed at her.

Sneaking a glance over at Captain Hitsugaya, she could see him struggling to reign in his bubbling anger. _'Mou, way to go Yamamoto-sama. Just what I need, a pissed-off runt resisting my help spitefully.'_ Though she had refrained from saying so out loud, Kagome's thoughtful words were heavily coated with sarcasm. With a small sigh, she decided that now was as good a time as any to speak up and save herself trouble in the long run. "Ano, Yamamoto-sama, perhaps I could explain to Captain Hitsugaya just how I may be of service. Y'know, just to make sure that he is open to cooperating."

"Not necessary. If he still wishes to defy my explicit orders to accept your tutoring, then Hitsugaya-san will find himself suddenly relieved of his duties as Captain. However, if you still feel it important to share, then by all means go ahead, Kagome."

Had one been able to look inside her head, they would have seen a chibi Kagome falling over anime-style at Yamamoto's words. _'So much for approaching this gently. Now __**I**__ have to deal with damage control.'_ Sobbing pitifully from the safety of her mental space, outwardly Kagome could be seen laughing nervously, rubbing the back of her head as she attempted to ignore the spiteful look that Tōshirō directed at her. "O-okay then, Yamamoto-sama." Clearing her throat, the immortal tenma-nisou carefully glanced over to meet the gaze of the youngest Captain, offering a small smile.

That did not help her cause. Not in the least. And seeing the tension that had been sparked between the two, Yamamoto sighed, vaguely catching the soft chuckling coming from his Lieutenant. "Hitsugaya-taichō, you will show Kagome the same respect as if you were a student of the academy and she were your sensei."

Clenching his fists tightly, "Hai, Yamamoto-sōtaichō." Tōshirō nodded stiffly. Thoroughly feeling ambushed by this whole ordeal and upset that the Captain-Commander thought so little of his abilities. _'Why even bother to promote me to Captain?'_ But subconsciously, he agreed with the older shinigami on all points. And despite the harsh words spoken, it was truth.

With Aizen currently running around Hueco Mundo creating arrancar, there was no telling what his ulterior motives were and when the ex-Captain would seek to fulfill them. So if there were someone out there who could help him to obtain mastery over his Bankai, he was willing to accept it. And although it was begrudgingly, Tōshirō would admit that he had been disgusted to learn of how he paled in comparison to Sōsuke's abilities. _'To be defeated so easily, how humiliating.'_ Shifting his aquamarine gaze to take in the appearance of his new 'sensei', Tōshirō found himself wondering what she had meant by explaining her uniqueness. '_Are... those claws and pointed ears?'_ Of course, with Captain Komamura running around this wasn't too much of a shock, but it was still unusual.

As if sensing his eyes on her, Kagome turned her own gaze from the floor below to catch his. She did not offer another smile, but she did lift a single eyebrow on her neutral face as if to ask 'what?' Yet before Tōshirō could open his mouth to answer her silent question, Yamamoto interrupted.

"Kagome, if Hitsugaya-san proves to be ungrateful and unwilling, notify me and I will deal with him appropriately." his aged voice rang clear in the silent room, and to show that she heard and understood, Kagome nodded her head.

Smiling gently at the woman whom he had come to care for dearly since her arrival in Soul Society five-hundred years ago, "Very well, you both are dismissed. But I would ask that you please keep me up-to-date on Captain Hitsugaya's progress."

"Hai, Yamamoto-sama." Bowing respectfully to Shigekuni, as he was the most important shinigami in all of Seireitei at the moment – despite him mentioning several times that she was exempt to such displays of high regard because of their history – Kagome quickly straightened herself before turning to Tōshirō. "Please meet me at your district's training grounds in one hour. We can begin at that time."

"Hai, sensei." Hitsugaya said between clenched teeth before turning swiftly to take his leave. Kagome followed soon after in her own direction to find ways of helping the Captain deepen the connection with his Zanpakutō.

Back in the meeting hall Chōjirō glanced over at his captain. "Yamamoto-sōtaichō, if I may, why did you really insist that Higurashi-san help Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked.

Shigekuni shook his head lightly, a chuckle following. "You mean aside from quite actually having the ability to help young Hitsugaya?" the Captain-Commander answered.

"Hai."

A long sigh followed in which Shigekuni carefully stoked his long braid. "Mm, well to be quite honest, I am hoping that he can help her in return. We both know just how much Kagome enjoys running around playing ninja, but despite her pain from her past she has always been a sociable one. And by keeping her in the position of reconnaissance she has been unable to flourish in the way that she truly was meant to exist. I am hoping that Captain Hitsugaya comes to be a friend to her."

"I see. Why not then make her Captain of one of the divisions?" Chōjirō ventured further.

"In time. I've already made the plans, however, the betrayals are too fresh. If I were to make her Captain now, suspicions would rise. Especially over her uniqueness, and her previous occupation."

"That is agreeable." Lieutenant Sasakibe nodded. Though he had never been more than professional with each of the now ex-Captains, what had been done was a shock to all of the Seireitei. How had such manipulative and dark desires gone unnoticed for so long? That was the question plaguing many. So he would trust his Captain to make the right decision. After all, he was the _only_ one who could.

* * *

_'That little... How can you be late when the meeting place is in your own backyard?'_ Kagome huffed angrily, arms crossed as she glared at doors through which Tōshirō should have appeared through fifteen minutes ago. Yet with a sudden light bulb thought she relaxed her posture, a wicked smile gracing Kagome's features as she remembered that she was the sensei and Tōshirō would have to do whatever she told him to do. When he finally showed up, of course. _'Yes. You'll get what's coming to you my little snowflake.'_ And as if on cue, Captain Hitsugaya appeared through the doorway looking rather disgruntled as he snapped at any remaining members of his squad to clear out from the training grounds.

"You're late." Kagome spoke calmly once the Captain stood before her with crossed arms and an angry glare on his features to mirror the way she had looked just moments before. She smiled gently at him, belying the fact that she was quietly planning his punishment.

"And would you prefer me to explain why and waste more of your time, or would you rather we start?" he retorted just as calmly, if not sounding more detached.

Laughing at his reply, "Ne, Tōshirō-san. So angry. Maybe that's why your Zanpakutō limits your usage of his power. Maybe Hyōrinmaru would prefer to have a master whom is more relaxed. Perhaps someone like.. me?" Kagome taunted, her emerald eyes narrowed suggestively.

Aquamarine colored eyes widened considerably as the flames of hatred were lit, and in a display of speed that proved why he had been named Captain of one of the Gotei 13 divisions, Tōshirō drew his Zanpakutō and angled the sharp blade to make a deep cut across Kagome's chest. Yet instead of the sound of a blade cutting through fabric and flesh, Hyōrinmaru met empty space and Tōshirō found himself falling forwards from the lack of opposing force. Though he was quick to regain his footing, faster than most, he was no comparison against a demon and quickly found himself unarmed with the tip of Hyōrinmaru's blade being pointed back at him.

Smirking lightly at her new student, "Too slow, Sukoshi Seppen." Kagome taunted.

Amazed by the massive difference in skill, Tōshirō remained silent and only narrowed his eyes at the female standing in front of him. _'That's not Shunpo. How is she able to move so fast?'_

"Huh, guess we'll have to start with the basics." Kagome sighed, slowly becoming aware of how much work this was going to be. The flicker of anger she felt from Tōshirō's aura caught her attention and forced her to glance over at him only to find an insulted look on his face. "I'm sorry, but its the truth of the matter. Now with you being a prodigy it shouldn't be that bad, after all, if you're really that good it'll be a breeze." Taking Hyōrinmaru carefully by its sharp blade, Kagome surrendered the sword back to its master.

Eager to have his Zanpakutō back under his control, the young Captain quickly snatched the weapon away from the hold of his _sensei _and returned Hyōrinmaru to its sheath. "I resent being acknowledged with skill in comparison to that of an academy student." Tōshirō grouched, narrowing his icy gaze.

"Fine... Now then, please follow my lead." Settling herself on the ground and folding her legs Lotus-style, Kagome brought her hand to rest with palms up against her knees, dismissing entirely what Hitsugaya said. "We'll start with simply meditating." she instructed, emerald eyes focused intently on her student. However, he failed to copy her movements and instead remained standing, glaring at her.

In his mind there was no way he was going to just stand here and take these insults to his pride without knowing who they were coming from. Even with the threat of losing his job hanging above, he just couldn't find the patience in himself to ignore his anger.

_'For being the Ice Lord, he sure does have a quick temper.'_ Kagome noted silently to herself. However, Yamamoto had entrusted her with training this youth and she would not allow any inflated egos to make her into a liar. "Hitsugaya, sit down. We have much work to do and very little time to do so in." her tone was even, leaving no room for argument.

Still, Tōshirō ignored her. "Before, you mentioned something about explaining why _you_ would be suitable to helping me. Tell me what you meant."

Lifting an eyebrow in the perfect expression of neutral disbelief – something she knew would have made Sesshōmaru proud – Kagome remained silent. And for several long moments she debated whether or not it would be wise to slap this kid around, but in the end she decided to humor him. However, _she_ was not amused. "This is my last effort to placate you before I being applying brute force where necessary." With the threat, she allowed just a minute amount of her spiritual pressure to flow unrestrained from her body. And though it was even less than a quarter of her potential, it still made the young Captain stumble and gasp for breath.

And in that second, true fear was bred.

Calling her pressure back, Kagome started her explanation without sparing a thought over the sudden spike of fear that she scented in the air. "Now then. Earlier when I said that I would be of service to you, I was referring to the fact that I'm not human. I don't know how much has been lost to time, but perhaps you might be able to recall that there was once an era when demons existed freely." Kagome spoke lightly, a wistful expression slowly stretching across her face as memories danced at the edges of her mind.

Scoffing, "Fairy tales. Nothing more." Tōshirō interjected, remaining blind to the point.

Kagome frowned, "Says the shinigami. Y'know most humans would find believing in _you_ a ridiculous notion." she retorted hotly.

Focusing his attention fully on this woman whom seemed so offended by the fact that he didn't believe in demons, "But they do believe in someone coming to ferry their souls into the afterlife." Tōshirō challenged.

"Just as they believe in inner demons!"

"That is merely a reference to their lack of strength over their own fears and emotions."

Falling silent, Kagome bit her lip angrily. She could see immediately that her silence gave her student time to think that he had won their argument. _'But he's wrong. Do I have to show him to make him believe?' _ Almost instantly she was resolved to the idea that she would actually have to give physical proof of life. "Fine." Kagome growled, pulling herself to a stand.

"As I-"

"I'll just show you." she interrupted Tōshirō, narrowing her emerald eyes onto his smaller form. Letting lose her control over her yōki, the silver in her gaze began to spread until both her eyes were glowing wildly with her immense power.

As the air shifted with energy, becoming as oppressive as the release of spiritual pressure yet mixed with a suffocating aura of pure, unadulterated savagery, Tōshirō felt himself once more gasping from breath. However, unlike before, this pressure did not force him to stumble or weaken in the knees. Instead he found himself becoming unwillingly nervous, his senses warning him of a serious threat. At his back, Hyōrinmaru was shivering inside his sheath, and reaching a hand back to tightly grip the hilt of his blade, a thought that was not his own rang clearly through Tōshirō's head.

•_Yōkai.•_

Eyes widening in shock, the young Captain found himself unable to move as he watched the transformation happening before him. In one moment, his newly appointed sensei was growling animalistically at him with glowing steel-colored eyes. In the next, her face was lengthening into a snout, hair turning milky white as her skin took on a deep blue color. And to his immense surprise, Tōshirō could make out the beginnings of scales as Kagome's body began to disappear in favor of being replaced by a slender, lengthy body of a...

_'Snake?'_

Hyōrinmaru released a pulse of anger at this thought and the Captain tore his eyes away from the metamorphosis in favor of glancing back at his Zanpakutō.

•_**Ryuu**-yōkai.•_

With his hand still wrapped around the grip of his blade, Tōshirō knew that once again this thought was not his own. And for a third time, Hyōrinmaru made its presence known by a wave of energy that Tōshirō could only assume as pride and immense respect bordering on worship.

"Ryuu...yōkai?" the Captain repeated, a mix of awe and fear coating his voice as he watched the transformation come to an end.

In just seconds, where previously a woman barely taller than himself had stood, a massive dragon now rested, towering over not only himself but everything around them. The amazing part of that was the fact that Kagome had coiled a good deal of her lower half in a circle around Tōshirō, as if daring him to say something offensive just so she could squeeze the life from him.

"_Believe me now, Seppen?_" Though he did not see her mouth... or rather snout move, the Tenth Division Captain knew that the ambient voice was that of his sensei's.

Opening his mouth for a response, but having no words to say, it was a shred of denial that found its way to the front of his mind first. "No... This could simply be a trick of your Zanpakutō." Following his claim of rejection, a low rumbling growl of annoyance shook both the ground and any remaining shreds of conviction to refuse.

Yet instead of trying to force reason upon him, Kagome shifted back into her human appearance, neutral mask of indifference in place as she opened her now emerald and silver swirled eyes. "Never mind. You'll come to realize the futility of your denial eventually. But now, we have work to do." Reseating herself in lotus form again, Kagome took a deep breath to relax the yōki that was still raging about, upset to be called back so quickly after no entertainment.

Despite her being a tenma-nisou and having the ability to remain in complete control over her baser animal instincts, thus not transforming in a fit of rage, having not been born as the creature she now was she found it still a bit difficult to quiet her beast after returning to her humanoid form. Even after hundreds of years of practice. _'Maybe I'm just restless and what I need is a good spar... Man, if only Yamamoto-sama would introduce me to Captain Kenpachi.'_

Realizing her thoughts were getting away from her Kagome shook her head, returning her attention back to Tōshirō, pleased to find him actually sitting opposite of her in the way she had instructed not long ago. There was still a glare on his face, but rather than pure contempt, she was instead met with annoyance. Specifically the kind one got when impatient with waiting.

"Gomen." Kagome apologized, understanding now that she had been in thought for quite a while. "But I did say meditate." she added, returning the glare with her own.

"And just how is that supposed to help?"

Fighting the twitch that threatened to overtake her right eye, "When one sits quietly with their Zanpakutō laid before them and removes all thought from their mind, this allows the spirit of their life companion to come through and speak with their shinigami counterpart in whatever manner they choose." Kagome explained slowly.

This seemed to make some sense to the younger shinigami, but he was still unconvinced. "You make it sound as if the Zanpakutō spirit won't be cooperative."

"That's entirely possible. Depending on how long and well you've been working together, Hyōrinmaru might come to you with a solution to lengthening the use of your Bankai or he might patronize you for being incompetent and unable able to figure it out yourself. But the point of this exercise it to build trust and a bond, to prove to your Zanpakutō that you can and will listen to what he has to say. Because while not everyone realizes this, their Zanpakutō are not simply servants of destruction to be used or ignored, they are companions. Life long and important in the way that you trust them to defend your life and the lives of those you have promised to protect."

_'So she's not entirely inept.'_ Long ago Tōshirō had come to this same conclusion, after all, it was hard to ignore the fact that the spirits were actual living, thinking creatures when his was keeping him from achieving mastery over Bankai.

"Hitsugaya, are you paying attention?"

Having zoned out for about a minute, he of course hadn't heard a thing she just said, but unwilling to admit his lack of focus, "I'm sitting right here."

Kagome rolled her eyes at that answer. "This will be the first and last time I do this nicely. If you make me repeat myself again, Tōshirō, I will beat everything I have to say twice, into you. Now then, as I just said..."

This time, the Captain paid very close attention. Because while he still was undecided on whether or not to believe that she was a real dragon yōkai, he did know that she had an incredible amount of power. Enough that she would be able to beat what ever she had to repeat into him more than once, perhaps even over an entire week.

_'She might even be stronger than Aizen.'_ And in his eyes, that was a considerable sum of ability and strength. Something that begrudgingly left him focused on the lessons of his sensei.

* * *

"Taichō?" A familiar voice called out to the prodigy Captain of Division Ten. Turning slightly, Tōshirō recognized the voice as his Lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku.

"Matsumoto." he answered. Despite knowing exactly what was coming, he allowed her the chance to voice her question.

"Where have you been all day, taichō?" she asked, her usual bright smile gracing her beautiful looks.

Not one to lie, but utterly embarrassed by the truth of how his lessons came about, "Training." Tōshirō replied simply to Rangiku's question.

"Training?" she repeated. Before she could press for details, the memory of Captain Unohana explaining to her about how Captain Hitsugaya had almost died from only one strike of Aizen's hand returned to the forefront of her mind. At that time, not even a month ago, fear had gripped her heart so strongly that she had wandered around in a daze for most of the time that her Captain was bedridden. Even now she was finding it hard not to worry about him. She could only imagine what he was going through, which is why she understood his simple answer. "I see. Will you be training again tomorrow?"

"Hai."

Sighing, Rangiku smiled kindly. "Alright, taichō. Then I'll be sure to see to everything while you continue your training."

Silver eyes met stunning aquamarine.

"Matsumoto?"

"Hai, taichō?" Rangiku responded, her presence shifting back to her usual carefree nature in spite of the concern she felt.

"Arigatou."

"Oh, it's no big deal, taichō. Just leave everything to me." Rangiku laughed, wrapping her arms around her Captain's smaller form and smothering him with her breasts.

"Matsumoto!" Tōshirō yelled, the sound muffled as he struggled against the woman's strong grasp.

* * *

It was late within the Seireitei, yet one wandering soul found themselves unable to sleep. Visions of a woman transforming into a large beast was running on constant repeat with the captions of 'Is this really possible?' scrolling underneath. That said, Captain Hitsugaya had given up on sleep after the second hour of tossing in his bed and decided to wander through the Daireishokairo in hopes of finding proof that what he had seen was either real or not. Personally he was leaning towards 'not real' because then at least he could report to the Captain-Commander that the sensei he had selected was certifiably crazy and have her fired. But a small part of him, though still in denial over yōkai, was pleased with how progressive and helpful their first session had been.

Finding the small section of Sengoku Jidai history, to his surprise there was nothing on myths and folklore, and after a good few hours skimming through all the books that were available for that era, the only information on demons was a short biography of some shinigami coming in contact with a woman who claimed that mikos had long since eradicated the vile creatures. Of course this shinigami later wrote that the woman had been disowned by her family for being mentally ill.

Yet it was the lack of information that made Tōshirō even more curious, and dare I say, even more suspicious that perhaps his new sensei actually could be a yōkai. _'It's almost as if someone has been through here and taken away all the books.'_

"Looking for these?" The sudden voice had the young Captain spinning around quickly and falling into a defensive stance. When he saw that it was his sensei leaning against the end of the table with a brand new stack of books in front of her, he breathed a sigh of relief. Until he realized that he had never sensed her approach and still could not tell that she was there, even with her standing right in front of him. _'How can she hide her spiritual pressure so well? That should be impossible. Even shunpo leaves behind energy traces.'_

As if she had heard his thoughts, "Yōkai don't need shunpo. We're already fast." Kagome explained. To prove her point she moved to stand beside her student, albeit she moved faster than the eyes could follow and so once more startled the Captain. The look on his face after he realized where she had moved to was priceless, drawing forth a laugh that only served to agitate him.

"You act like a child." Tōshirō sniped, crossing his arms and turning his back to the woman.

She only laughed harder. "And you look like one."

That was the final straw. Spinning on his heels, for the second time for the day Tōshirō pulled his Zanpakutō free and aimed to leave a sharp cut across Kagome's chest. Only this time, she simply stood there and took the hit.

Aquamarine eyes widened sharply in fear as the scent of blood filled the air and thick liquid began to leave a trail down his blade to gather in a puddle on the floor. Having fully expected her to dodge the attack, the young Captain found himself scrambling to fix his mistake. Wiping the blood spray from his face, Tōshirō idly realized that he had dropped his Zanpakutō and was now reaching out carefully to grasp Kagome's shoulders as if to brace her from falling.

But she never did. Nor did she flinch as would any normal person who had just nearly been sliced in half.

"S-sensei?" The fear in his voice was nearly tangible and for a moment, Tōshirō wondered if she had already died. But as he eyed her wounds he found – to his astonishment – that blood had stopped pouring out and her skin was already knitting itself back together. A feat the even for a high ranking Fourth Division member was unheard of. Shifting his eyes back up to her face, he found her watching him with a neutral look and eyebrow slightly lifted.

"Do you feel better now?"

Choking on the breath he had been holding, Tōshirō shook his head with disbelief. "H...How?" There were hundreds of questions whizzing through his mind, but that single word was all he could muster.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was a yōkai?"

The silence that followed her question was deafening. But finally Captain Hitsugaya came to the conclusion that despite coming to the library and looking for the answer in a pile of books, his proof was standing right in front of him.

"Hai." he answered finally.

The smile that stretched across her face was enough to ease away the guilt and fear that had built inside his heart and mind. In fact, along with the implications of her amazing existence, Tōshirō found that her smile also eased away his contempt at being forced back into shinigami lessons, leaving him more than content with continuing their lessons.

And, strangely tired.

"Eh, Hitsugaya? Hitsugaya?" Blinking owlishly, Kagome gazed down in surprise when she felt her student lean heavily upon her in unconsciousness. "He fainted..." she murmured aloud in disbelief. With a sigh, Kagome carefully shifted his weight so that she could carry him on her back and once settled and sure he wouldn't slide off, she then reached out to grasp the hilt of Hyōrinmaru, giggling softly when the ice dragon made a comment about how embarrassing his counterpart was being. He also politely apologized for Tōshirō's hot temper and for drawing her blood.

"Ne, it's fine, Hyōrinmaru-san. At least now we've gotten over the first hurdle. I just hope he doesn't think that this is some vivid dream when he wakes tomorrow morning." Kagome spoke kindly to the Zanpakutō. On a side note, "Maybe this is why Yamamoto-sama has been keeping me under lock and key."

Sparing a glance at the mess her blood had made on the wooden floors below, she grumbled. She would have to come back later and clean that up, but first she needed to get the young Captain back to his sleeping quarters. It took only a minute to get there, and when she had she realized that in his fainting spell – which Kagome suspected was due to the relief from the sheer terror Tōshirō must have felt at what the Captain-Commander would have done to him should she have been seriously injured – he had gotten her blood on him. And likely all over her back as well. "Ah well, that'll just be a reminder for him tomorrow to prove that he wasn't having a nightmare."

•_I would have done that anyways.•_

Kagome couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face at that comment. "And I thank you for that, Hyōrinmaru-san." she said, eyeing the Zanpakutō that rested against the wall by the head of Tōshirō's bed.

•_I should be thanking you, Kagome-sama.•_

"Eh, why?"

•_For helping my young master. I do not take joy in keeping him limited to my power, but I can not in good conscious allow him total control over that which he does not understand. With your aid, he will come to realize our full potential and we will be stronger. And for that, I thank you.•_

"I see... Then your welcome, Hyōrinmaru-san." Kagome nodded. Turning on her heel, she was gone seconds later to tend to the mess in the Great Spirit Library. But as she was racing through the streets, a feeling of happiness spread through her chest.

_'It's taken me a while, and this might not last forever... but until I'm no longer needed I'm going to enjoy it... Being needed again.'_

* * *

_Owari_

* * *

OMG... I actually did it. I finished revising the first chapter... Excuse me while I go bask in the afterglow of accomplishment.

**Japanese-to-English:**

Ryuuou – Dragon King

Tenma-Nisou – Demon Priestess

Doushite – Why?

Doushite ware – Why me?

Nani – What?

Onegai yurushite kudasai – Please forgive me.

Houheishi – Messenger

Sukoshi Seppen – Little Snowflake

And for those of you who are curious, here is all the information detailing Kagome's Zanpakutō.

**Zanpakutō Name and Sealed Description:** Kannagi [(n) Medium / Diviner / Shrine Maiden, but I'm going for Medium.] Because of the special circumstances surrounding her becoming a shinigami and what happened before then (*hint* her becoming a tenma-nisou), unlike with other Death Gods Kagome's Zanpakutō and Zanpakutō spirit were created when she entered Soul Society. Meaning that she is the only one to possess her blade and thus the only one who shall ever master this weapon. And because her Zanpakutō is a new creation, there are certain normal qualities that do not apply Kannagi. For instance, Unreleased, this blade does not have a simple sword form. When Kannagi is not being used to bring his enemies to their knees, he contains himself in an ironic resembling jewel that Kagome wears on a satin necklace fastened like a choker. For an actual idea of what I'm talking about, you are free to refer to the "Visual Reference" section of my profile for an image of the jewel looks like.

**Zanpakutō Sword Type:** Katana

**Zanpakutō Element:** Adjusting Energy Medium

**Zanpakutō Inner World:** Sengoku Jidai. Well, the few miles of Inuyasha's Forest including the Goshinboku, the Bone Eater's Well, and Kaede's Village.

**Zanpakutō Spirit:** The spirit is an exact replica of Ryuuou. Personality included. Perhaps because Kagome's own demonic blood stems from him. "Visual Reference" picture is in my profile section. There are three and the first one is his humanoid version while the other two are alternate views of Ryuuou in his most basic and natural dragon state.

**Zanpakutō Call Out Phrase:** "Saifon!" - "Siphon!"

**Shikai Appearance:** A very simplified katana that gives off and icy blue glow. Please refer to my profile's "Visual Reference" section for a picture, if that's what you would like.

**Shikai Abilities:**

Kagome's Zanpakutō is essentially the Shikon no Tama and its abilities include being able to empower another Zanpakutō. In Shikai, like the name alludes to, Kannagi can channel the Shikai techniques of whatever Zanpakutō it has previously clashed with in battle.

Channeling these abilities gives Kannagi the freedom to shape shift into a replica of the Zanpakutō he is mimicking. Thus the reason why Kannagi's Shikai appearance is so plain. The only slight draw back to this feature is that if Kagome's opponent knows the abilities of the Zanpakutō that Kannagi is channeling, they can attempt to adjust their battle style to counter. However, what they will not know is that Kannagi also multiplies the strength of the skills by twice as much. The catch? Only Kagome can use the empowered version of her opponents' techniques. That's right, despite being the master of their Zanpakutō, her enemies can not enjoy the upgrades.

**Bankai Appearance:** Kannagimaru. Unlike in Shikai, Kagome's Zanpakutō will take on an original form and not shape shift to take on the appearance of her opponent's Zanpakutō. That being said, the blade becomes a katana. Simple with the exception of having no other color but blue throughout its entire design. The tsukagashira is the most unique feature of the blade, for it has been made to resemble the head of a dragon. For an idea of what the blade looks like, please refer to the "Visual Reference" section of my profile.

**Bankai Abilities: **

Kannagimaru, the perfect medium. Able to channel both Shikai and Bankai abilities of other Zanpakutō and empower their abilities to more than three times their normal strength, again not allowing anyone but Kagome to use the stronger versions.

Yet Kannagimaru is now able to do more than play medium to Zanpakutō. He now will channel the ki of his tenma-nisou. Both pure and animalistic energies are amplified to be stronger than if Kagome were using her natural abilities without Kannagimaru. And while this may seem unnecessary, because her existence as a tenma-nisou is due to the fact that both Midoriko and Ryuuou performed the forbidden ritual, by allowing her Zanpakutō to channel each of the different energies separately, the remnant spiritual energy of her predecessors flowing through her veins gives Kannagimaru the ability to call forth a temporary fighting companion.

For example, by channeling yōki, the eyes on the dragon-shaped tsukagashira will glow white, followed by the mouth pouring out a stream of what will look like icy blue saliva but in truth is actually the yōki gathering to from what will look like physical manifestation of Ryuuou, the dragon king. It is not Ryuuou, but rather Kannagimaru himself. However, this Kannagi is now a fully capable elemental dragon yōkai. Even more awesome is the fact that he can remove one of his fangs which will transform into a sword that is then able to channel the abilities of any Zanpakutō, either Shikai or Bankai.

When being medium to Kagome's pure energy, a.k.a nisou/priestess ki, the dragon head will again glow and release a stream of what looks like cherry blossom pink saliva – the traditional color of a priestess. And once more this ki will build up into a physical manifestation, this one a replica of Midoriko's herself. But unlike with the channeling of yōki, this solid copy will not behave with the personality of Ryuuou or Kannagi. Nor will the spirit of Midoriko come through. Instead something a little more complicated will occur. Kagome will experience something akin to astral projection and gain a split awareness of both her own position on the battlefield through her body, as well as through the Midoriko look alike. And unlike with the channeling of yōki where if she dispelled her Bankai Kannagimaru would disappear as well, should she seal her Zanpakutō or return it to Shikai, the legendary miko replica will remain. This is because of the connection from a split awareness. But it is also because Kagome herself is the medium, a reason explained by the fact that she was transformed into a tenma-nisou from a priestess and thus her miko ki is naturally stronger, able to maintain the Midoriko replica indefinitely. And because Midoriko was a miko that preferred a sword to the traditional hama-yumi, her blade can also be used to channel either the Shikai or Bankai abilities of another Zanpakutō.

While channeling Kagome's tenma-nisou ki and appearing as either himself or Midoriko, Kannagimaru will not leave Kagome unarmed. She will keep the dragon-headed katana, but it will be unable to do anything more than cut. The physical manifestations will be able to channel other Zanpakutō weapons, but not Kagome through her own Zanpakutō.

Now I bet your thinking, 'the Shikon is capable of granting a wish'. Yes it is, but Kannagi is not. Only because it seems like overkill for a Zanpakutō that is already super-powered and used by a character that already seems as if she's incapable of being defeated.

I didn't mean to write her that way and she is not going to be all-powerful and able to take out Aizen with just huff and puff, but it's kind of hard to make her weak when she's basically a love child of the legendary priestess Midoriko and her ultimate yōkai enemy turned "mate".

Yes, I've basically screwed myself, but I shall **PERSEVERE**!

Anyways, I would appreciate reviews. But I'm not running a for-profit business so I don't require payment for services, nor will I hold out if I don't receive compensation.

Okay then, see you next chapter!

䷼ **Y**our** R**ude** A**wakening ䷼


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